1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a dispenser for dispensing sheets of advertising material on a one-by-one basis as well as for the presentation to the consumer of such advertising material. In particular, this invention relates to an improvement of such a dispenser.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is common practice, especially in retail establishments, to display advertising material in high traffic flow locations to catch the attention of a large volume of potential consumers. Often times it is advantageous to provide advertising literature which the consumer can take with him. An area of high traffic flow in any retail location is in the aisles between the display shelves. Increasingly, price channels are used on each shelf so that pricing information for each product can be readily changed from time to time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,977 issued on Apr. 12, 1977, and entitled Assemblage with Dual Support discloses a dispenser for presenting advertising material for taking by a consumer on a one-by-one basis. The assembly disclosed in the patent uses a pair of ears for engagement with a price channel. It has been found that the use of the ears necessitates the use of a relatively thick plastic material to avoid tearing of the support. The thick material makes it possible to snap the assemblage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,977 in a price channel over pricing information already in that channel because the combined thickness is greater than the flanges of the price channel will accommodate. It is a common situation where a price channel already contains pricing information which is vital to the consumer and where the advertising material that pertains to that product needs to be placed at the same point in the price channel. In such circumstances, one or the other must be eliminated. With the present invention, the increased strength of the tab over the pair of ears allows a hanger or support to be fabricated of material which is thin enough that it can be engaged in a price channel over already in place flexible plastic pricing inserts. To facilitate the utilization of both the pricing inserts and the hanger support of the present invention the flexible material used for the hanger support of the present invention is made of clear transparent material.
Another advantage of the present invention is that with the use of the tab as opposed to a pair of ears, it has been found that insertion in the price channel is simplified. With the assemblage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,977 it often was found that one ear would engage with the price channel, but the other would not snap into place and the assemblage would, after some use, fall out of the price channel or the engaged tab would tear due to the extra load placed on it. With the single tab of the present invention, this rarely occurs.
Another advantage of the present invention is the near elimination of accidental engagement of assemblages in their packing container. It has been found that the ears with their open slot to each side of the support would catch onto other assemblages in a box often times damaging them or even fold back on itself and tear some of its own sheets. The present invention avoids this problem by eliminating the open slits to the sides.